


We Have a New Calf

by Multifandomx



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Coming Out, Family Feels, Gen, Slight Internalized Homophobia, accepting family, andrea and gabriel and good parents, slight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29666535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandomx/pseuds/Multifandomx
Summary: Carlos didn’t really like thinking about his coming out experience. It’s not like it went horribly, it was just one of those moments he wishes he could go back and redo.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Carlos Reyes' Family (9-1-1 Lone Star)
Kudos: 22





	We Have a New Calf

Carlos didn’t really like thinking about his coming out experience. It’s not like it went horribly, it was just one of those moments he wishes he could go back and redo.

\--

Carlos had just gotten home from school and was upstairs in his room. He had been thinking about this for a really long time. He had known he was gay since he was 13, and Ricky Anderson took off his shirt at Caroline Wright’s pool party. But recently it had become harder for him to ignore.

He wanted to tell his parents. He didn’t want to hide such a large part of himself from them. But he had no idea how it would go. His parents had never mentioned anything about gay people, but that probably had more to do with the fact that it was not relevant to their lives and less to do with the fact that they had no opinion on it.

He had been planning out how to have this conversation with them for a couple months now. He had specifically waited for his older sister to go back to school for the spring, so he wouldn’t have to deal with her too. She had gone back to college over the past weekend, so now he just had to figure out when he actually wanted to do this.

He heard their front door close, signaling that his dad had just gotten home from the station. Carlos was sat at his desk, pretending to do homework when his bedroom door opened. “Hola, Mijo. How was school?” His dad peaked his head through the doorway.

Carlos turned to face him, “it was pretty good.” He smiled at his dad.

“That’s good. Dinner is almost ready, and your mom would like you to go set the table, please.”

Carlos nodded, “got it. I’ll be down in a minute.” His dad nodded and closed his bedroom door. Carlos ran his hand over his face. Every time his dad asked about school, he got nervous, because every once and a while he will drop in which coworkers of his have daughters who also go to his school. Making up excuses was becoming more and more difficult.

He made his way downstairs and into the kitchen to where the plates were kept. “Hola,” his mom was stirring something on the stove.

Carlos walked over to his mom with a stack of plates and kissed her on the cheek. “Hola, mami. Dad told me to come set the table.”

She smiled, “yes, mijo that would be wonderful, thank you.”

Carlos grabbed some silverware and cups and walked out into the dining room. He set the table and made his way back into the kitchen to wait for dinner. He hopped up onto the counter and sat down to observe his mom cooking.

They were having casual conversation when his dad walked into the kitchen. “Carlos Reyes, get off the counter. Were you raised in a barn?” Carlos jumped down, but just stared at his dad, because he kind of had been raised in a barn. “Don’t even say it, Carlos.” He let out a small laugh.

His mom also let out a chuckle. “Alright my boys. Dinner is ready so help me take this to the table, please.” Everyone grabbed something and walked it to the dining room and took a seat. “Gabriel, would you like to say grace?”

They all grabbed each other’s hands and his father said grace, ending with a chorus of “amen.” They began to eat in silence. His dad cleared his throat. “So Carlitos, do you remember my coworker Anthony?” Carlos made an affirmative noise and nodded. “Good, well you know his daughter just moved up here to live with him and she is going to your school.” Carlos felt his stomach begin to turn.

He nodded, “oh, cool.” He put down his fork and tried to cover up the fact that he might puke.

“I was thinking, you could show her around town. I don’t know, get to know her, maybe.” Gabriel was looking between his wife and Carlos, trying to seem as if he just trying to be casual and not insinuate anything else. “What do you think?”

Carlos, honest to God, felt like he was going to vomit. He looked up at his dad and then back down at his plate. “I don’t know, dad. I…I’ve been really busy with school and stuff lately.”

His dad set down silverware harshly, causing Carlos to flinch. “Dios mio, Carlos. Why won’t you just show the poor girl around?” Carlos shrugged and refused to make eye contact with his dad. “I asked you a question, Carlos.”

He looked up at his mom with pleading eyes. She just looked back at him confused. “I don’t…I don’t want to.”

“Why the hell not? I don’t understand why all of your friends are seemingly interested in girls from your school, but you will not even entertain the idea.” Carlos shrugged.

“What is going on mijo?” His mom reached across the table and grabbed his hand. He just shrugged again. “Carlitos, please talk to us.”

He took his hand away from his mom and rested his face in his palms. “I don’t know if I can.”

His dad huffed, “Carlos, please. You know we are finishing this conversation. We are not just going to let you walk away from it.”

Carlos stood up abruptly and walked so he was leaned against the back of their couch. “I just…I don’t know what to say.” He had been thinking about doing this for a while, but he definitely did not expect it to be tonight. His parents were both watching him, from where they were sat at the table. “I don’t want to disappoint you guys.”

“Mijo, we won’t be disappointed. We just want to understand.” His dad nodded in agreement.

“Exactly, are you feeling pressure at school? Do you feel like your friends are pressuring you to do…things?”

Carlos groaned and scrubbed his hand down his face. “No, no. Please. That is not it.”

His dad let out a confused laugh, “well then what is it mijo?”

Carlos lowered his head, so he was looking at the floor. “The reason I don’t want to meet any of your coworker’s daughters is because…” He closed his eyes and took a large breath. “It’s because I’m…gay,” he whispered the last part and didn’t look up to see their reactions.

It was completely silent. He knew that they had heard him, because they didn’t ask him to repeat it. He couldn’t look up. Not if they weren’t saying anything. He shook his head and felt the prickle of tears behind his eyes. “Did you hear me?” He still wasn’t looking at them, but he needed them to say something…anything.

There was more silence and that was when he began to let the tears fall. He had been so scared, and it seemed like his fears were being realized. He began to sniffle and wipe at his face to try and not let his parents see how affected he was by this. He finally gained the courage to look up at his parents and they were staring at each other, having a conversation with their eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t…is there anything I can say to…make this better?” He knew he was whispering, and he knew if his parents were in deep in their own conversation, they wouldn’t hear him.

But they must have heard him, because both of his parents looked up at him. As soon as they made eye contact, he looked back at the floor. He didn’t want to see the disappointed look in their eyes that he knew was there.

He heard both of their chairs scape against the floor and assumed they were leaving the room, which sparked a new round of tears. He brought his hands up to cover his face. The next thing his knew he was being pulled into a hug.

He could tell they were his dad’s arms wrapped around him. Carlos uncovered his face and wrapped his arms around his dad. He then felt his mom wrap her arms around him from behind. His dad began rubbing his back. “It’s alright mijo.”

He began to cry harder as his mom kissed the back of his head. “We love you so much, Carlos. This doesn’t change anything.”

He shook his head, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I was so scared.”

His dad kissed the top of his head. “We love you so much mijo. Nothing could ever change that…even this.”

He nodded against his dad’s chest. “I’m sorry you were scared baby. We didn’t mean to make you think this changed anything. You just took us by surprise.”

He parents pulled away from him and he turned to his mom. “I didn’t mean to, but you guys just kept pushing it and…I’m tired of pretending.”

His mom pulled him into another hug, “I know Carlitos, I’m glad you told us. We love you so much.”

He pulled away and wiped his eyes. “I love you guys too. Thank you.”

His dad pulled him into a side hug and kissed the top of his head again. “You don’t need to thank us mijo, it’s our job, right Andrea?”

She pulled him in by the other side. “That’s right. We will never stop.”

He nodded as his parents pulled away. “I’m going to go do homework, I love you guys.” He began to walk towards the stairs.

“We love you too,” both of his parents said in unison.

Carlos got back to his room and sighed out of relief. He sat down on his bed and began to think about everything. He did want to continue this conversation with them. There was more he wanted to tell them, but that would have to come tomorrow.

The next morning, he walked downstairs to see his father sitting at their table, while his mom cooked breakfast. “Good morning, Carlitos. Would you like eggs?”

He sat down next to his dad, “that would be great mami.” The only sound in the room was the sizzling of bacon on the stove. “I was wondering if we could maybe talk about last ni-“

“Did I tell you we are getting a new calf for the farm today?” His dad didn’t even look up from the paper he was currently reading.

Carlos just stared at his dad for a second. He had cut him off…that must have meant they didn’t want to talk about it. “No, you uh…didn’t.”


End file.
